Team Herald
PANJIM: A senior citizen from Avedem, Quepem, has alleged that he was barred from performing the last rites of his wife on their ancestral property on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters at Azad Maidan, Ganesh Gauns Dessai claimed that his wife, Sumitra, passed away on February 25 and while all arrangements were in place for the cremation, he and his family were stopped and forced to perform the last rites elsewhere.
“We had made all the arrangements, but suddenly, Prashant Dessai, along with Vishal Dessai and Ulhas Dessai, told me that we could not perform the last rites at that place. All my ancestors were cremated here, and we have owned this property since the Portuguese era,” he stated.
His son, Chandradas, expressed deep distress over the incident. “We wanted to conduct the final rites at our ancestral property, which we have inherited. However, since the land is under legal dispute, we were prevented from doing so without any court order, notice, or justification. A large police force was deployed against us, treating us like criminals. Meanwhile, my mother’s body remained at home, decaying, while we were left begging for a simple act of humanity in our moment of grief,” he lamented.
However, Quepem PI Arjun Sangodkar stated that upon receiving a complaint regarding the cremation site, both parties were summoned before Manohar Karekar, Deputy Collector and SDM, Quepem. “Since both parties were relatives, the SDM requested an amicable resolution. Following this, the husband and son of the deceased agreed to conduct the cremation at an alternative location on the same day. The matter now stands resolved,” he said.